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House to 'deem' approval of 2013 budget on Tuesday

The House on Tuesday will pass a resolution that will deem the GOP-passed budget resolution as passed for the purpose of setting budget targets as members work on FY 2013 appropriations bills.

The so-called "deeming resolution" is included in a rule setting the terms of debate for a gun rights bill, H.R. 4089, which will also be debated on Tuesday. Republicans on Monday evening released a statement explaining why it is proceeding this way, and pinned it on the failure of the Senate to approve a budget for the third year in a row.

"When the Senate refuses to act, the House must take steps to ensure that it can responsibly proceed with the appropriations and budget process," the statement said. "This is accomplished through the use of budget enforcement language in a rule, commonly called a 'deemer' because it 'deems' the House budget levels in place until there's a joint agreement between the House and Senate."

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The GOP statement stresses that both parties have done this six times over the last decade, and said the "deemer" is needed to set guidelines for the House as it works on spending bills for the next fiscal year.

"In 2010, the Democratic majority failed to even propose a budget resolution and they were forced to deem budget enforcement numbers that never received an up or down vote," the GOP wrote.

"While we'd prefer an agreed-upon budget resolution, it is essential that some budget enforcement be put in place," it added. "Absent Senate action on its own budget and a House-Senate agreement, the House cannot move forward on key budget priorities."

Language provided by the Rules Committee says that the deeming resolution "provides that the House-passed budget resolution shall have force and effect until the adoption of a conference report on the budget resolution."

The GOP's budget resolution, which passed in late March, is highly objectionable to Democrats because it would cut more than $5 trillion more than President Obama's budget proposal, reduce discretionary spending to levels below those agreed in the Budget Control Act last year, and revive the GOP idea to turn Medicare into a health insurance supplement for anyone younger than 55.